NT ripe for Palmer's brand of politics

There's a frustration in the Northern Territory over inequality and Indigenous policy that is ripe for exploitation by a new party. Enter Clive Palmer and the PUP, writes Ann Arnold.

It feels like an inner Melbourne laneway, but this one is within throwing distance of the dry Todd River bed. On a cold, windy Saturday morning in Alice Springs, the Fan Arcade is buzzing.

Tables at the Page 27 cafe are full, the outdoor heaters are on, and further along is Matty Day's new pop-up skate shop.

Matty Day has another new venture, as well. The former youth worker has gone public with his decision to join the Palmer United Party.

"I think by working with the PUP party in Alice Springs and in central Australia, I'm able to try something different," he explained.

"I can continue to advocate for young people and their issues, and I was really pleased to be approached to work with them in that area."

Yes, he agrees, the Labor Party shares his social concerns, and "is doing a really good job in opposition". And yes, there's the Greens. But the PUP offers a new voice. And, Day says, its appeal is broadening.

"We've got our own network, it's a growing network and we're talking with lots of people with expertise and I believe that's the way we will be able to keep the bureaucracy accountable."

There's a frustration in the Northern Territory - with the gaps between the haves and have nots, and the seeming inability of successive governments to advance the situation of indigenous people - which is ripe for exploitation by a new party.

Perhaps indicative of his focus on the north, Clive Palmer took time out from the Senate turmoil this week to talk about the Territory. He would not disclose the membership figures for the NT PUP, but he claimed widespread and growing support; support that was there even before the much publicised April defection of three indigenous MLAs from the governing Country Liberal Party to the PUP (via a brief stint as independents).

"It's not as though these three people are our only people who are members of the party," Palmer said.

"They joined a party with a vibrant, growing number of people, from all walks of life, from around Darwin and other parts of the Territory, that want a better government, and want a better way."

He cited the PUP's NT senate bid in last year's federal election, where "we had a lot of members up there help us in that campaign".

The PUP's Northern Territory senate ticket, led by former Army major Douglas Te Wake, polled 7.14 per cent of the primary vote. And there are reinforcements coming.

"James McDonald, who's our assistant national director, is going to the NT in about two weeks, and he'll be based up there for a couple of months," Palmer said.

In Alice Springs, Matty Day adjusts his felt Fedora and obligingly poses beside a newly delivered PUP promotional car, adorned with a giant photograph of Clive Palmer. The car is getting its first public airing courtesy of Eli Melky.

Melky, born in Lebanon and raised in Adelaide, is an Alice Springs mover and shaker. A town councillor, real estate agent and mortgage broker, he presents a weekend radio sports show and is the announcer at the annual Henley-on-Todd Regatta.

Until this year, Melky was also the deputy treasurer of the Country Liberal Party. After a dispute about access to information on fundraising and other matters, he resigned from the party, citing concerns about transparency. For the past few months, he has been the main organiser and supporter for Alison Anderson, the Alice Springs-based leader of the PUP, and her parliamentary colleagues Francis Xavier Kurrupuwu and Larisa Lee.

Both Melky and Day are fans of Anderson. They see her as an inspiring and committed leader of Aboriginal people, who has had the moral courage to walk away from not one, but two, governing parties - Labor, and the CLP. Those actions have made Anderson deeply unpopular in some political circles, although she has good relationships with individual politicians in both major parties.

Anderson makes no apologies for political switching.

"I've got no loyalty to Labor. I've got no loyalty to the Country Liberal Party. But I do have loyalty to my people."

She is operating in a fraught, and tough, political environment, where issues of race and personal relationships are played out very publicly. Anderson has made several accusations of racism by CLP politicians. In turn, the Chief Minister, an Aboriginal man from NSW, has been offended by Anderson's references to him as a "little boy", and an outsider who doesn't represent Territory Aboriginals.

The lowest point for Anderson and her two colleagues came in March, after negotiations with the CLP broke down. The next day, the NT News front page was dominated by a photograph of the trio's faces, with a clown nose super-imposed on Anderson, and circus rings above them. She says that treatment generated vicious online comments.

"It was raw racism, raw hatred. You know, go home, back to your humpies you black so and sos. And I think it shows the vulnerability of [Aboriginal] people in the Northern Territory."

Anderson is calling for a change of political culture in the NT, where racial comments, and presumptions, are often explained away as "the Territory way".

Palmer, meanwhile, is positioning himself as a champion of Aboriginal issues.

"We've got a nine or 10-member party, if you count Ricky Muir in our voting team, and four have got indigenous backgrounds. There's the three from the Northern Territory, and Jacqui Lambie's got an indigenous background from Tasmania."

Anderson wants Palmer's backing in the Senate on NT Aboriginal issues, because the Commonwealth administers Territory legislation such as land rights, although Palmer said he had not discussed that particular subject with Anderson.

There are still plenty of matters of mutual concern. Palmer mentions infant mortality rates - the subject of the PUP's one-page indigenous policy on its website.

"It's not a political matter, it's something of utmost importance," he said last week.

"I know if I was prime minister I'd do what- any steps that were required. I see that as a national emergency.

"And if I can assist in that, and create some sort of a spotlight on the national scene, I'm more than happy to do it."

Comments (11)

TrevorN:

14 Jul 2014 3:57:28pm

The NT LNP are a dysfunctional mob at best. They hold a one seat majority and are so divided that they could go out backwards if there is any more infighting. While PUP might have a show of making some inroads they will have to step carefully, given that Ms Anderson is a bit of a loose cannon and can change her mind in a minute.

Hassa:

Alpo:

14 Jul 2014 5:47:25pm

Yep, the PUP is spreading and currently commanding around 6.3% of the primary vote in the opinion polls. They are a danger to both the Liberal and National Parties (check the results in the recent re-run of the WA Senate election). Their true power will be measured next at the State election in Queensland next year. If the PUP preferences Labour over the LNP in most seats, the Newman Government is GONE!.... Abbott will be next....

Harry Stacy:

14 Jul 2014 6:14:28pm

Normally I wouldn't read any indigenous focused articles written by a Sydney based journalist who has probably only visited the red centre a hand full of times (your referred to as a Spinifex fairy btw) but I couldn't help myself. Let me start by saying that no amount of money or political party for that matter, whether it be Greens, Labor, Coalition or PUP and can solve the problems with bush Indigenous Australia. The only way things for them will start to improve is when they take responsibility for themselves and there actions and stop harbouring a victim and entitlement mentality. The later two are now so entrenched in the minds I can't see this happening in my lifetime. I see the money and effort been poured into helping them and I see little progress as they take the path of least resistence and responsibility which involves sit down money, welfare, government houses which are quickly destroyed and mostly an attitude that Australians owns them everything. As mentioned nothing will change as the road to improvement is long and would require such drastic change in policy (given their drastic situation) that the country wouldn't have the appetite (given special interest groups) to do it. Regarding Alison Anderson. Well. Read 'King Brown country: The betrayal of Papunya'.

Source: Lived in the NT all my life. Worked in remote indigenous communities for years.

Alpo:

14 Jul 2014 7:12:36pm

"As mentioned nothing will change as the road to improvement is long and would require such drastic change in policy (given their drastic situation) that the country wouldn't have the appetite (given special interest groups) to do it."... Harry, given your experience I am curious to know your list of preferred "drastic" alternative policies and your views on whether they will work or not. In the past European Australians have used quite a few drastic policies such as the forced removal of children from their families.... did they work?

Big Nana:

15 Jul 2014 11:12:14am

The one option that has never been considered when looking for answers to the problems inherent in aboriginal affairs is looking at history. Why has no one looked at all the successful aboriginal people, especially in the North, and studied their family history? Why has no one wondered why some families, with full blood matriarchs, have produced doctors, nurses, teachers, lawyers and small business owners? How do a large number of them own their own homes, send their children to private schools?The answer is there for the looking. The aboriginal people who currently live productive, self supporting lives are the descendants of those people who were raised in missions until they were teenagers then found jobs in neighbouring towns. They worked as housekeepers, cooks, nannies, builders assistants, labourers, truck drivers etc. The key to the success of their progeny is that they were expected to behave and cope in exactly the same way as the white community. They had no special privileges, no support agencies, no cultural advisers, no bridging courses, no special indigenous certificates, no excuses for their children not attending school.At that time the missionaries didn't hold the view that aboriginal people couldn't cope without special services, agencies and support. They were expected to adapt, and they did. Those who didn't went back to the missions to be protected by the mission system, in the same way that dysfunctional white people depended on welfare.Isn't it time we returned to that attitude and demanded people live up to their abilities, instead of fostering their belief that they are victims. Naturally not all will rise to the challenge, but then, neither do all non indigenous people.

Alpo:

15 Jul 2014 12:20:17pm

Big Nana, I guess that your analysis is a bit superficial. As many conservative people tend to do, by focusing on the successful tip of the iceberg you forget all the rest, such as the costs paid by all those who failed. To understand the true success of a program you have to consider both the winners and the full pains of the losers. To your surprise, you will find that it is often the case that the difference between the two is a NET PAIN.

Big Nana:

15 Jul 2014 2:48:09pm

Alpo, you are missing the whole point of my comment. Why is it that the members of families who were sent into towns to work and expected to live the same as non indigenous people achieved so much success compared to those who remained in isolated communities under a paternalistic system?

JessC:

Matty Day:"Yes, he agrees, the Labor Party shares his social concerns, and "is doing a really good job in opposition". And yes, there's the Greens. But the PUP offers a new voice."

In a nutshell, that explains why PUPs appeal is broadening. By positioning himself as a "champion of Aboriginal issues" Clive Palmer is taking over not only the heartland of Australia but all of the other minority groups that the ALP and the Greens have forgotten. By focusing too much on saving union jobs in the motor and other industries (ALP) and supporting refugees (Greens) both parties have lost touch with Australians who once voted for them primarily concerned with social issues.

Caffettierra Moka:

14 Jul 2014 7:23:36pm

Clive Palmer. Why is it that the electorate are so easily fooled? I see a lot of folks here projecting onto his ample frame all the things THEY want to see happen. That is not the same as the PUP actually creating concrete policies and carrying them through.

Clive is good at the talk, but not so good on following up. I predict that his clique of senators will not be members of the party by Xmas and he'll be reduced to one loud voice in Parliament.

whatif:

15 Jul 2014 8:01:07am

Palmer is tickling the fancy of many at the moment, but making his money from real estate and coal, does not make him a leader of a country, he is to arrogant for words and while he is enjoying his bit of fame, he needs to align with some one who does know how to run a government, he needs to know how to build and look to the future and to date he has shown none of that, sure it would be nice to get a lot of things, but we do need to build, not destroy.